Nice, France
“This project represents the forward-thinking of the City of Nice to create a major architectural landmark and to rejuvenate the surrounding area near the Theirs Station in this historic city,” states architect Daniel Libeskind.
Designed by Daniel Libeskind, Atelier FévrierCarré and MDI Architecture together with landscape architects Jean Mus and interior architects Zatti Interiors are soon completing Gare Thiers-Est for developers Compagnie de Phalsbourg, which the team won in an international competition sponsored by the City of Nice.
Agilité Solutions, Zatti Interiors, and ESA Engineering are listed as partners for the realization of the development.
The project is part of a comprehensive urban redevelopment of Thier’s main station; and when completed, it will include the design of 20,000 square meters of high-end commercial space, featuring feature two levels of shops, a 120-room hotel, offices, a sculptural entry pavilion, a 200-seat auditorium, and a restaurant offering an open roof terrace with views towards the sea on the top floor.
Part of a major urban redevelopment of Thiers central station and its surroundings, the project will reconnect the urban fabric by creating new pedestrian connections between the station and the street and the North and South neighborhoods that are currently separated by the railways and the Pierre-Mathis road.
Once complete, the building will house the new headquarters of Hilton Hotels, and offices of a start-up listed on the French stock exchange, Les Agences de Papa – a real estate company managed by Frédéric Ibanez, Nicolas Fratini, and Claude Li.
Inspired by technological innovation and modernity, with a strong focus on eco-sustainability, the project will include flexible spaces designed to foster collaboration, with a rooftop dedicated to the recording of podcasts and other business communications.
Libekind’s architectural form is inspired by the mineral forms of azurite—a mineral endemic to the region—each peak is conceived as a harmonious crystallization whose edges speak to Avenue Jean Médecin.
The reflective façade is covered with metal as facets and scales with serigraphs on the windows that reflect the neighboring buildings, sky, and landscape of Nice.
The result is a sculptural, concrete, steel, and glass set, cut like a diamond, with multiple faces rising nearly 40 meters high to obscure the rail tracks.
The strong architectural identity of the project will be visible from the avenues Thiers and Jean Médecin as well as from the railway area.
Project: Gare Thiers-Est
Architects: Studio Daniel Libeskind
Architects of Record: Atelier FévrierCarré Architects
Collaborating Architects: MDI Architecture
Landscape Architects: Jeans Mus & Cie
Interior Architects: Zatti Interiors
Engineers: ESA Engineering
Structural Engineers: CE-N Civil Engineering Network
Interior Contractor: Agilité Solutions
Client: Compagnie de Phalsbourg
